Tangled Up In Life
by Moving Mountains
Summary: A fight with a new villain lands Raven in hot water, as she is slowly suffering. Will the Titans realise what's wrong with her even though she doesn't know, before it's too late? RobRae... C8 NOW UP!
1. Scarring

**Disclaimer: I wish I owned Teen Titans but sadly I don't!**

* * *

'**_Why is everybody always more afraid to live than die?' - Lucie Silvas_**

**CHAPTER 1 - SCARRING**

"You're finished Tarot!"

"Oh am I? And whose gonna stop me?"

"We are!"

Robin and Starfire stood in front of the latest villain to cause chaos in the streets of Jump City, Tarot. Robin extended his bo-staff and prepared for the fight ahead and Starfire's eyes glowed lime green, as did her hands. Robin ran towards Tarot and hit him continuously with the bo-staff, occasionally sending him kicks. He slammed him against an alleyway wall, but Tarot fought back grabbing Robin's leg and tossing him against a dumpster. Starfire flew over.

"You will not get away with this!"

She flew above him sending star bolts his way and didn't miss a single shot. Unfortunately for her, they didn't do too much damage and Tarot also sent her flying into the dumpster, landing on top of the Boy Wonder.

"Cyborg, he's headed your way. Take him down." Robin said through his communicator whilst helping Starfire to her feet.

"We already found him!" Cyborg said back.

Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah and darted towards Tarot, sending him flying.

"Dude! No one messes with the Titans!" Beast Boy cheered

"Nothing can stop me! Especially a little, green loud mouth!" Tarot laughed.

"Move BB!" Cyborg shouted out of nowhere, charging up his sonic cannon and sending a blue beam straight at Tarot, knocking him backwards.

"Oh yeah! I think we just did!" Cyborg smiled giving Beast Boy a high five. "Booyah!"

"Dude, we rock!" Beast Boy boasted.

Cyborg got out his communicator. "Robin, it's Cy. We got him."

Beast Boy tapped his shoulder. "Dude, we ain't got him."

Cyborg turned around and Tarot had indeed disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Cyborg said confused.

"Raven will find him." Robin said signing off of Cyborg and contacting Raven.

"Raven? Is Tarot there?" Robin said.

"Yeah, he's here but I can handle him." Raven said nonchalantly, staring from the communicator to Tarot and back.

"We'll be there as quick as we can. Keep him busy!" Robin signed out leaving Raven alone in an alleyway, face to face with Tarot.

"Why don't you make this easy and move out of my way!" Tarot shouted.

Raven rose of the ground. "I don't think so… Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Suddenly, a nearby dumpster was surrounded in Raven's black energy and she chucked it at Tarot, who was used to that trick and instantly dodged it.

"Is that all you've got?" Tarot laughed, obviously not impressed with the empath's dark magic.

"Not even close!" Raven shouted, using her mind to send two, dark claws towards the villain, grabbing him in her grasp.

"Trust me, you don't want to get on my bad side." Raven said gripping her tight on Tarot.

"Do you really think these can hold me?" Tarot smiled evilly. He banged his hands together and sent a flash of light at Raven, who got the full impact and fell backwards.

"You know, you're stronger than you look." Tarot said watching Raven struggle to her feet.

"Don't patronize me!" Raven said getting angrier by the second. This villain wasn't gonna give in easily. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Tarot dodged the pieces of shattered glass that Raven sent at him and grabbed her by her arm.

"Let…me…go!" Raven shouted, struggling to break free.

"I'll make sure you never use your powers again child!" Tarot screamed.

He grabbed Raven's other arm and threw her into a wall, hitting her head. Raven slowly got to her feet and stared coldly at Tarot. Tarot came running towards her and before Raven could say her magic words, he sent another flash of light at her. Raven felt light headed and struggled to get up as Tarot pinned her against the wall, her face touching the cold bricks.

"Struggling only makes me angrier!" Tarot whispered in her ear.

"Likewise!" Raven shouted.

Suddenly, Raven felt a surge of pain down her back. She screamed at the top of her voice. Tarot ignored her screams as he mentally tattooed a spider on her lower back, causing her cape to rip in several places. A tiny spider appeared on her back, and started scuttling around in a circle, and started spinning a web. Raven couldn't see what he was doing to her but she knew it was bad. The pain was bad enough. The spider stopped and Raven felt nauseous with pain and felt light headed.

"I suggest you take it easy on the magic dark one, or you won't have a very happy ending."

And with that, he banged Raven's head hard against the wall and released her, then ran off down the alleyway. She crumpled down to the cold, alleyway floor. She could feel herself falling in and out of consciousness, but felt too weak and gave in.

* * *

"Raven?"

Robin kneeled beside Raven's body and Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy stood around her.

"Raven? Answer me?" Robin said, gently shaking her.

Raven could hear her friends voices and slowly came around, opening and closing her amethyst eyes.

"I think she's back." Cyborg said observing the small wound on her head, thanks to Tarot's head bashing.

"Raven!" Robin said again. Raven opened her eyes fully.

"Where am I?" she moaned looking up at the four concerned faces staring at her.

"Are you hurt friend?" Starfire asked, holding out a hand and helping her to her feet. Raven stood up but lost her balance and fell into Robin's arms.

"Can you walk?" Robin asked looking at Raven worryingly.

"I think so. Urgh my head." Raven moaned, putting her fingers to her head and seeing the blood.

"What happened?" Beast Boy asked her.

"We had a fight, he pinned me up against the wall… then he… urgh, I can't remember but he banged my head. Then everything went black." she explained.

"We better get you checked out." Cyborg said.

"No, don't worry. I'll be fine in a minute once you all stop spinning." Raven replied, leaning against Robin for support.

They waited a couple of minutes, then Raven felt fine. The Teen Titans made their way back towards their home, Titans Tower. Little did they know that Tarot was watching them that whole time.

"Ah, it's a just a matter of time. Raven has no idea about the tattoo. But she'll find out soon enough. They don't call me the Tattoo Tarot for nothing!" Tattoo Tarot laughed evilly and disappeared into the darkness of the alleyway. "It's just a matter of time!"

* * *

Hope you all like it so far! This is my first fanfic so don't blame me if it's awful! Lol Chapter 2 is there so please read on... 

Hollie xoxox


	2. Falling

_**'And now we're dancing like the dance of the seven veils, every move closer till the moment we lose ourselves.' - Lucie Silvas**_

**CHAPTER 2 - FALLING**

That night, Raven stayed alone in her room. She still didn't feel 100, that knock on the head done her no justice. She managed to get a decent nights sleep though, considering. She woke up quite early, got dressed in her blue leotard with matching cape and boots, brushed her violet hair and made her way downstairs to breakfast, stopping in the infirmary on the way to get a bottle of aspirin for her headache.

She walked through the doors of the Control Room/kitchen. It was a usual morning in the tower, Starfire was watching some gross documentary about algae and fungi on the television, Robin was sitting at the table reading the newspaper and waiting for breakfast, which Cyborg was preparing, and Beast Boy was questioning the ingredients being used. Raven sat down at the table opposite Robin and opened the aspirin bottle. He put down the paper.

"You okay?" he asked concernedly.

"Yeah, it's just a headache." she said popping three aspirins in her mouth.

Robin wasn't too convinced. "You want me or Cy to check you out just in case?"

"No, it's fine, seriously." she said reassuringly.

"If you're sure." Robin replied taking one more glance at Raven, giving her a I-know-it's-not-okay-but-I'll-leave-it-for-now look and then returning his attention to the newspaper.

Raven used her powers to conjure the 'Book of Azar' from the sofa. She winced as she felt a pain down her back. Little did she know that the spider tattoo that Tattoo Tarot had planted on her was quickly spinning a web across her back. She felt a burning sensation and let out a moan. Robin put down the paper again and looked at Raven.

"What is it?" he asked leaning forward.

"I dunno." Raven moaned. "Must've slept in a funny position." she said rubbing her lower back.

"Did Tarot hurt your back when he pinned you?" he asked.

(A.N. The Titans know the villain as 'Tarot' but we know him as 'Tattoo Tarot' so it's the same person! Just wanted to straighten that out!)

"I dunno. I don't think so anyway. Besides, the pain's gone now. It was probably a spasm." she said, looking away from Robin and starting to read her book. She didn't get very far. Cyborg came over with plates of waffles for everyone and Tofu waffles for Beast Boy.

Beast Boy and Starfire went and sat down and they all tucked into their breakfast.

"Ummm friend Cyborg. These holey pancakes are deliciously pleasant for the taste buds!" Starfire smiled as she happily chewed away.

"Yeah dude! You cooked the tofu just right!" Beast Boy said as maple syrup dripped down his green mouth.

"After breakfast, we'll have an hour training session. Tarot beat us too easily yesterday, and he doesn't even have any powers." Robin said to his team mates.

"That we know of anyway." Cyborg said seriously. "I'm up for that."

Everyone nodded at Robin's suggestion. They all had to admit, yesterday's fight went badly and Tattoo Tarot had got away. All of them needed a lesson or two.

"Alright then, it's 9:00, we'll meet on the roof in twenty minutes." Robin said getting up and putting his plate in the sink for Beast Boy to wash up later. Everyone copied and left the table. Robin and Starfire went to their rooms, Cyborg and Beast Boy ran for the Gamestation controllers and Raven sat outside and continued reading her book.

* * *

It was 9:20 a.m. and everyone was on the Titans Tower roof awaiting Robin's orders. He was the leader after all.

"Alright Titans. We'll start with hand to hand combat, then we'll use weapons and powers. Rae, Cy and BB, you'll work in a three and I'll work with Star. Titans go!"

The two teams went off to separate ends of the roof. Raven and Beast Boy started by trying to take down Cyborg.

"Dude! You're going down!" Beast Boy bragged to Cyborg.

"Per-leaze! I can beat your skinny green butt anytime man!" Cyborg smiled.

"How about today?" Raven said sarcastically as Beast Boy transformed into a kangaroo and fly kicked Cyborg into the basketball hoop.

"Nice distraction dudette!" Beast Boy said to Raven, waiting for a high five.

"I don't do high fives. And it's hand to hand training. No transforming!" Raven said.

Beast Boy saw Cyborg running towards him. He quickly dodged out of the way, leaving Raven an open target for Cyborg's incoming punch. Raven, having good reflexes, dodged Cyborg's fist and kicked him to the ground.

"Nice try." she said nonchalantly helping Cyborg back to his feet.

"Try this one then Rae!" Cyborg said kicking Raven in the side and sending her flying.

"Dude! Nice one!" Beast Boy cheered.

"You okay Raven?" Cyborg shouted to the empath.

"Just fine!" Raven said sounding a little angry. That kick got her completely off guard.

"Come on Raven. Let's see what you've really got!" said Beast Boy, who transformed into an elephant and was ready to squash Raven. (Lightly of course! Even though it's a training session they're all still friends!)

Raven's eyes glowed white and her hands were surrounded in black energy. She levitated off the roof and floated in mid air a little away from Beast Boy. She felt the same twinge in her back as before, but this time it was much more painful.

"Azarath…"

Cyborg looked at Raven. He could see something was wrong.

"Metrion…"

Raven tried to fight back the pain but it was too strong. As she spoke, the spider tattoo had once again come to life, thanks to her wondrous powers, and had continued spinning it's web. It was now covering half of her back. She slowly felt herself falling.

"Zinthos!"

Raven felt dizzy and the sky was spinning. Everything was going black. Beast Boy turned back into human form and stood with Cyborg, and watched their friend fall from the sky and over the side of the tower, quickly dropping towards the sea and rocks at the bottom. Cyborg ran up to the edge.

"RAVEN!" he shouted over. "BB, GRAB HER!"

Following orders, Beast Boy speedily turned into an eagle and flew over the edge, picking up speed to rescue Raven, who was getting closer and closer to the water below. Beast Boy used all his strength to get to her in time… and he just did. With his massive claws, he grabbed Raven's shoulders and pulled her back up to the top of the roof. Beast Boy dropped the unconscious empath. Cyborg did a quick scan while Beast Boy contacted Starfire.

"Star, it's B." he said.

"Why hello friend Beast Boy. I assume your training session is going well yes?" Starfire smiled.

"No! Raven fell off the roof. Cyborg and I are taking her to the infirmary. She's okay I think but meet us there okay." Beast Boy said quickly, looking from the communicator to Cyborg and Raven.

"Oh no! I will inform Robin and we will meet you inside!" Starfire said looking slightly worried and she signed off.

Beast Boy went up to Cyborg.

"Is she gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I dunno man. But I need to get her inside." Cyborg replied picking up Raven.

Raven groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"Cyborg?" she whispered.

"Hey. I'm taking you inside okay. You fell off the roof." he said wiping a hair from her pale face.

"I… what?" she whispered back, obviously not remembering any of the past five minutes.

"Shhh. I'll explain later." Cyborg smiled as he carried Raven into the infirmary with Beast Boy right behind them. As soon as her body touched the bed, she screamed and then quickly fell asleep.

Cyborg started hooking a few wires to Raven. Even though she just collapsed, it was in midair, which never happened to her before, and Cyborg treated Raven like his little sister and just wanted to make sure there was nothing seriously wrong. Beast Boy sat next to Raven. Just then, Robin came running in with Starfire.

"Cyborg, what happened?" Robin said with a worried tone.

"Her and BB were preparing to fight. She rose into the air and her eyes glowed, you know as usual, but she looked in pain. Then after she said 'Zinthos' she just fell unconscious and fell from the sky to the ground." Cyborg informed the Boy Wonder and the worried Tamaranian.

"Did friend Raven hit the ground?" Starfire asked.

"No, I caught her just in time." Beast Boy said.

"But is it serious? Or did she just collapse?" Robin asked Cyborg who was doing a few simple tests.

"Well I dunno man. I just did a quick brain scan to see if it's from yesterday's bang on the head, but that seems okay. She looked fine before. I kicked her in the side in the practise but that wouldn't have done anything. I was gentle. She just went pale and fell. I think she's just tired or something."

"When she wakes up I'll talk to her." Robin said looking at Raven.

"She woke up while I was bringing her here and she couldn't remember a thing." Cyborg said.

"Maybe she'll remember later." Starfire added.

"Come on y'all. Let's leave her to rest." Cyborg said. He followed Beast Boy and Starfire out of the infirmary.

"Aren't you coming man?" Cyborg asked.

"I'll stay with her." Robin answered sitting in Beast Boy's chair. Cyborg smiled.

"I'll make us some lunch." he said and left down the corridor.

* * *

It had been an hour and everyone had eaten their lunch. Robin had stayed with Raven and the others had eaten in the control room and were talking about the earlier events. Robin could hear them from the infirmary…

"She just fell. It was quite frightening." Beast Boy said.

"But that is very unlike her." Starfire observed.

"I know. Do you think that Tarot had something to do with this?" Beast Boy asked.

"I dunno. But she'll be fine. She'll need to take it easy today and possibly tomorrow. What could Tarot have done?" Cyborg said lastly.

Robin was interrupted by a moan beside him. Raven had woken up.

"Where am I?" she groaned.

"The infirmary." Robin smiled.

"But…" Raven started.

"You fell from the sky off the roof while preparing to fight BB. BB caught you and he and Cyborg rushed you here." Robin said, quoting what the green changeling and the half man/half robot had said an hour beforehand.

"It all happened so fast." Raven said.

"What happened so fast?" Robin questioned moving closer to her.

"As soon as my hands turned black with energy, I felt a rush of pain. Sort of like this morning when I summoned my book. When I said 'Azarath Metrion Zinthos' I just lost it and everything went black."

Robin looked at her. She looked a little sad.

"Do you think it could be Trigon again?" Robin asked quietly, not wanting to upset her even more. Raven hated her father more than anything and hated the subject being brought up.

"I destroyed that bastard. I don't think so?" Raven said nonchalantly.

"Were you tired?" Robin questioned.

"No." Raven answered monotonously.

"Was it Tarot?" Robin said picking up on what the others were saying in the control room.

"Why would he? He's a new villain. He has no reason to." Raven said.

"Since when did a villain need an excuse to hurt a Teen Titan?" Robin asked.

"I don't know what it was, but I'm gonna take it easy with my powers for today and see what happens." Raven said as she got out of the bed and unhooked all the wires.

"Need a hand to your room?" Robin asked.

"Okay." Raven said as she walked with Robin towards her gothic sanctum.

"I'll be asleep. But I'll see you all later." Raven smiled at Robin.

"Sure." he replied as Raven opened her door and walked into her room.

"Rae?" Robin said just before the door closed. "You will tell me what's going on if you figure it out. Or if you're hurt again right?"

Raven looked at him. Because Robin was the leader, it was his duty to check the welfare of the team and protect them. Raven could see he looked guilty, even though he had no reason to be.

"Of course Robin."

Raven walked back into her room and lay on her bed.

"Ah, what's wrong with me?" Raven sighed.

Robin heard her say that through the door. "You tell me Rae." he thought as he made his way to the Control Room, and his fellow Titans.

* * *

Well, that was chapter 2! Hope you enjoyed in and you'll carry on reading. Love Hollie xoxox


	3. Healing

_**'Without you, I can kid myself, that my idea of perfect love is not a fairytale.' - Lucie Silvas**_

**CHAPTER 3 - HEALING**

Robin walked into the Control Room and looked across at three anxious faces.

"Is Raven okay?" Beast Boy asked him as he relaxed on the sofa next to the others.

"She's fine. She went to her room to sleep." Robin smiled.

"Did she say what was wrong with her?" Cyborg asked.

"No. She doesn't know." Robin answered. Cyborg's face dropped. "It's not everyday you just fall from the sky."

Everyone went quiet.

"Friends. I shall make the Trifle of Happiness to cheer us all up!" Starfire smiled gleefully as she flew over to the kitchen. The boys began to feel sick. Starfire's cooking could only be described as dreadful and sickly.

Thank God, the alarm started going off and the tower flashed red.

"Or, we could grab a Chinese on the way back from the next fight!" Beast Boy smiled.

Cyborg ran over to the computer. "It's Control Freak. He's at the docks."

They all ran to the front door when a black whirlpool appeared in the floor in front of them. Raven appeared and it disappeared.

"I'm coming with you." Raven said facing Robin, who didn't look happy.

"No Rae. We still don't know what's wrong with you." Robin argued.

"I'm fine." Raven said back.

"Raven, you're staying here. At least for now. And besides, you told me you were gonna lay low on the powers." Robin said staring into her amethyst eyes who he could see were filling up with anger.

"But…"

"That's an order!" Robin shouted, startling the others. Raven jumped back and disappeared through the floor.

"Was that really necessary?" Cyborg asked.

"You know she can be stubborn sometimes." Robin said, immediately feeling guilty about it. Raven wasn't at all stubborn, she just loved fighting evil. She was a strong girl and a little fall wasn't going to hold her back. But Robin wasn't prepared for her to get hurt, especially when she was already hurt.

"Look dudes. Let's go before C.F. gets away." Beast Boy said as he followed Starfire out the door. Cyborg and Robin followed. They all made their way to the garage, Cyborg and Robin jumped into the T-Car and started it up. The car sped out of the garage and across the bridge that connected the island where Titans Tower stood to Jump City. Starfire and Beast Boy flew above them as they headed for the docks.

"Do you think Raven's mad?" Robin asked Cyborg. Raven was his 'little sister' so to speak, so apart from himself, Raven opened up to him.

"Well, she ain't gonna be to happy man. But she'll get over it." Cyborg smiled.

* * *

About two minutes later, the T-Car, Starfire and Beast Boy arrived at the docks.

"Right dudes. Where is he?" Beast Boy said, looking around at the crates that surrounded them. The others were copying.

"Over there!" Robin shouted, pointing towards Control Freak. Control Freak looked around, stopping what appeared to be forcing open the crates.

"Stop right there Control Freak!" Robin shouted.

"Ah, the Teen Titans! You caught me!" Control Freak smiled sarcastically.

"What are you doing here?" Starfire asked, her eyes glowing green.

"It's none of your business missy!" he answered, keeping eye contact while attempting to blindly open the crate.

"So stealing and stopping a shipload of goods being deported, that's supposed to be none of our business?" Beast Boy joked in a serious tone.

"You can't call getting the 'latest limited edition Gamestation 3001 in teal blue' stealing!" Control Freak smiled just thinking about getting his filthy paws on it.

"Did you say the 'latest limited edition Gamestation 3001 in teal blue.' But that's not out till April! It's only January!" Beast Boy said going up to Control Freak and looking at the crate.

"Oh my little green friend. You need to look to find things you want." Control Freak smiled.

"Focus Beast Boy!" Robin shouted over to him. Control Freak threw Beast Boy over towards Cyborg, which sent them both flying into the warehouse wall. Starfire flew over to him, her hands now glowing as well.

"No one hurts my friends without paying." Starfire said in a loud and slightly angry tone of voice, sending star bolts at him, which he cleverly dodged.

"Whatcha gonna do? Give me a ticket?" Control Freak laughed, grabbing Starfire's arm, spinning her round and releasing her into a pile of crates. Everyone could hear a loud crack.

"Starfire?" Robin shouted. When he heard no answer he dashed over. Starfire was clutching her arm. He examined it. "It's broken. Raven can heal it when we get back." Robin smiled. The Tamaranian smiled back, standing up.

"Let's get him!" she shouted.

Starfire and Robin were joined by Beast Boy and Cyborg. Cyborg shot his sonic cannon at Control Freak, who fell backwards.

"Dude! Watch the Gamestation 3001s!" Beast Boy said to Cyborg, who looked surprised.

"Stay on task BB!" Cyborg replied, watching his friend turn into a kangaroo and kick Control Freak into the wall where they had been lying a couple of minutes ago.

"That'll teach you to wait for things." Robin said slyly, pushing the crate away from the villain, who burst into tears.

"I was so close! The 'latest limited edition Gamestation 3001 in teal blue' was almost mine!" he moaned.

"Dude," Beast Boy said going to talk to Control Freak, "Let me give you some advice, the best things in life come in small packages."

Control Freak went completely blank. "What?" he asked.

"Small packages my villainous friend… small packages." Beast Boy walked off to help Cyborg load the rest of the crates on to a nearby carrier ship while Robin held Control Freak in place until the police took him away. They all met up at the T-Car.

"Well that went well." Cyborg smiled rubbing his hands together. "How about that Chinese?"

"We can't. Star's arm is broken and I need Raven to heal it. The sooner we get home the better." Robin said, helping Starfire into the T-Car seeing as how she could no longer fly.

"Oh no friends! If my arm is broken then I will be unable to cook us the Trifle of Happiness!" Starfire sobbed.

"Don't worry Star. I'll order a take away." Cyborg smiled, because one, they wouldn't have to eat her nasty Tamaranian 'food', and two, he would get his Chinese his stomach was begging for. The others got into the T-Car and they drove back to Titans Tower.

* * *

Raven was channel surfing on the sofa. She had never been so bored. She hated staying at home when the others were out kicking arse, especially when she felt fine. Although, Raven knew she wasn't fine, something was wrong with her and she had a hunch that it had something to do with her one-on-one with Tarot the day before. In fact, it was twenty four hours ago at 10:00 pm. God, she must have been bored to do the maths. Raven heard the front door open and stood up to greet her friends, although she was a little ticked off still. Robin walked beside Starfire who was holding her arm, and Beast Boy and Cyborg walked in, deeply indulged in a conversation about Chinese food and the Gamestation 3001.

"Raven." Robin said to her. She looked at him. "Starfire's arm is broken. Can you heal it?"

Raven gestured for Starfire to sit on the sofa, which she did. Raven's hand glowed light blue. She felt the pain from before, except once again, the pain had got worse. The spider tattoo was spinning away at his web, and was now three quarters covering her back. Raven persevered and placed her hand on Starfire's arm. She clenched her teeth and was trying not to scream. She knew her priority was to heal Starfire's arm. Robin could tell that Raven was suffering, and by that time Beast Boy and Cyborg had realised. Raven's hand stopped glowing and she let go of Starfire's arm.

"Raven?" Robin said walking towards Raven. The empath collapsed into his arms.

"Raven!" he shouted into her ear while holding her against him.

"Take her to the infirmary! Something is seriously wrong with her." Cyborg said.

Robin put one arm round Raven's neck and the other under her legs and carried her to the infirmary, trying to wake her along the way by calling her name. He arrived at the room and lay her down on the bed. Cyborg arrived with the others in pursuit and he once again hooked loads of wires to Raven.

"I need to do a complete diagnostic scan." Cyborg informed the others. "It will take a while so y'all might as well wait outside."

Starfire and Beast Boy left the room.

"I'm not leaving her Cyborg. Not until I know what's wrong." Robin said holding Raven's hand.

"Fine. But this isn't gonna be pretty. I need to do blood tests and stuff." Cyborg explained.

"Just find out if she's okay!" Robin said now squeezing Raven's hand. Cyborg got out some big needle and quickly stuck it into her arm and drew some of her blood. Thanks to the Titans modern technology, Cyborg could do an analysis straight away.

"Well?" Robin asked him.

"Nothing. It says she's healthy." Cyborg replied looking astounded.

"What! But she's not healthy Cy! She's collapsing! Getting headaches! She's in pain and I'll be damned if she doesn't get better." Robin shouted.

"Look man calm down." Cyborg said sternly. "Did she say anything to you?"

Robin thought back to their previous encounters that day…

"_You okay?" he asked concernedly._

"_Yeah, it's just a headache." she said popping three aspirins in her mouth._

_Robin wasn't convinced. "You want me or Cy to check you out just in case?"_

"_No, it's fine, seriously." she said reassuringly._

He thought harder…

"_It all happened so fast." Raven said._

"_What happened so fast?" Robin questioned moving closer to her._

"_As soon as my hands turned black with energy, I felt a rush of pain. Sort of like this morning when I summoned my book. When I said 'Azarath Metrion Zinthos' I just lost it and everything went black."_

He thought even harder…

"_What is it?" he asked leaning forward._

"_I dunno." Raven moaned. "Must've slept in a funny position." she said rubbing her lower back._

"_Did Tarot hurt your back when he pinned you?" he asked._

"_I dunno. I don't think so anyway. Besides, the pain's gone now. It was probably a spasm." she said, looking away from Robin and starting to read her book. _

Robin had a thought. "Cyborg, she kept complaining about a sore back. And how she was in pain whenever she used her powers!"

Cyborg thought about Robin's observations.

"That would explain why she collapsed on the roof and just now healing Star's arm. Best check her back then." he said to Robin. Robin removed her cape and Cyborg turned Raven onto her side.

"Dear God!" Cyborg whispered looking at Raven in despair.

"What is it?" Robin asked him.

"You'd better take a look Robin." he replied. Robin walked around the bed and looked at Raven's back.

"What the?"

* * *

Ooooo cliffhanger even though you probably know what's there. Thanks for reading! Love Hollie xoxox


	4. Finding

'_**Without you, I don't need to explain. There's no one to answer to, when I got no one to blame' - Lucie Silvas**_

**CHAPTER 4 - FINDING**

Robin was staring at Raven's back. Covering most of it was the spider web that had been causing her pain for the past two days. The web was black and the spider was red. Cyborg looked confused.

"When did Rae get a tattoo?" Cyborg asked.

"She wouldn't, she's afraid of needles." Robin said, slowly reaching out towards the spider.

"So… this is what's been making Raven faint this whole time? A tattoo?" Cyborg said. "There has to be more to it."

"Cyborg look!" Robin said, moving his hand away quickly. The spider came to life and continued to spin the web around Raven's back. The web was glowing silver as it covered almost her whole back. Although she was unconscious, Raven tensed up and started to sweat. Robin ran over to face her and comfortingly stroked her hair and squeezed her hand.

"It's okay Raven." Robin said, although she couldn't hear his soothing words.

After a minute, the spider remained still and the web stopped glowing. Raven relaxed but her breathing had gotten quite heavy. Robin put an oxygen mask over her mouth and watched as her breathing slowly returned to normal.

"Did it just move?" Cyborg observed looking closer.

"Yeah, but what is it?" Robin said.

"I'll search the database for villains famous for harmful tattoos. But what kinda villain has that power?" Cyborg questioned.

Robin stared at Raven and once again, reminisced events of the past two days…

_Raven persevered and placed her hand on Starfire's arm. She clenched her teeth and was trying not to scream. She knew her priority was to heal Starfire's arm. Robin could tell that Raven was suffering, and by that time Beast Boy and Cyborg had realised. Raven's hand stopped glowing and she let go of Starfire's arm._

"_Raven?" Robin said walking towards Raven. The empath collapsed into his arms._

"_Raven!" he shouted into her ear while holding her against him._

"_Take her to the infirmary! Something is seriously wrong with her." Cyborg said._

Robin sighed and suddenly had a better thought, and a possible lead…

"_Are you hurt friend?" Starfire asked, holding out a hand and helping her to her feet. Raven stood up but lost her balance and fell into Robin's arms._

"_Can you walk?" Robin asked looking at Raven worryingly._

"_I think so. Urgh my head." Raven moaned, putting her fingers to her head and seeing the blood._

"_What happened?" Beast Boy asked her._

"_We had a fight, he pinned me up against the wall… then he… urgh, I can't remember but he banged my head. Then everything went black." she explained._

"It was Tarot!" Robin shouted. "That son of a bitch!"

Cyborg looked up from the computer. "How do you know?" he asked as the computer continued its search for villains.

"Remember when we found Raven in the alleyway after her encounter with Tarot and she couldn't remember what happened to her?" Cyborg nodded in reply to Robin's question, "Well that could be what she forgot!"

Raven murmured in her sleep. Robin kneeled beside her.

"Raven?" he whispered. He got no reply. "I don't what this tattoo means or why it's causing you so much pain. But I promise you that Cyborg and I are going to find out what Tarot did to you. You have my word."

Cyborg looked at him and smiled. In his eyes, Robin was a great leader and loved his compassion. And he was right, they were going to get to the bottom of this. The computer beeped, and Tarot's profile came up.

"Robin." Cyborg said. "We have him." Cyborg read the profile out loud.

'_Tattoo Tarot aka Tarot. Arrested for one of the biggest illegal tattoo heists in 2004. Released in December 2005 (last month). Rumoured to use magic to bring tattoos to life but there was no evidence to convict him. Place of birth - Vanaveah. Nationality - Vanaveian.'_

(A.N. Vanaveah is pronounced Va-Na-V-Ah. Just in case anyone can't say it :P)

"It has to be him then. It all adds up Cyborg. Raven told me a while back that Vanaveah was a realm very close to Azarath. I'm going to give that bastard a piece of my mind! Lets go!" Robin ordered.

"Hold it!" Cyborg said back. "First, I need to check Raven over. Then we'll leave."

Robin leaned against the wall and waited for Cyborg to finish checking Raven. He adjusted the oxygen levels in the mask, hooked up a heart rate monitor and nerve impulse machine.

"What's all that for?" Robin asked looking worried.

"Her heart rate's dropped and her oxygen intake is slowing down slightly. I set this all up so BB or Star will know if something's wrong with her. You better tell BB where we're going while I finish up here. I'll see ya in the garage." Cyborg smiled in a comforting way.

Robin nodded and ran to Beast Boy's bedroom. He knocked and saw a very hungry Beast Boy standing there.

"Pleasssssssse tell me that the Chinese is here!" Beast Boy begged.

"Is that seriously all you can think about Beast Boy!" Robin joked before turning serious. "Me and Cyborg have a lead about who's harming Raven so we're going to check it out. I need you and Starfire to stay here in case something happens to her."

Beast Boy had a load of questions that Robin didn't have time for.

"What do mean who? I thought she was just ill?" Beast Boy said confused.

"We found something. I'll tell you later, but I need you to keep an eye on her. If she wakes up then make sure she stays in the infirmary and doesn't move." Robin ordered.

"Why? What's wrong?" Beast Boy asked.

"Cyborg said her heart rate is lower than normal and her breathing isn't that good. I don't want her in any more pain than she appears to be in." Robin said looking at the floor, feeling a little guilty that Raven was suffering.

"Got it. I won't take my eyes off her. Go! Catch the guy!" Beast Boy said putting a comforting hand on Robin's shoulder. "She'll be fine Robin."

And with that, Beast Boy ran to the infirmary and Robin ran to the garage where Cyborg was supposed to meet him. He wasn't there. Robin's mind went racing. Oh my God, has something happened? Is she breathing? His mind went clear again when he saw Cyborg appear beside him. Cyborg could see Robin was anxious.

"Raven's body temperature decreased so I added some fluids. Nothing too serious." Cyborg reassured Robin, who didn't seem too reassured.

They both jumped into the T-Car and Cyborg sped over the bridge. He had a lock on Tattoo Tarot. He was in the same place as their previous fight, the alleyway circuit, downtown. Cyborg picked up speed and tightly swerved into the alleyway, where indeed, Tattoo Tarot was standing looking very relaxed.

"Teen Titans. How did I know you'd be here?" Tattoo Tarot laughed evilly.

Robin and Cyborg got out of the car and stared coldly at the villain, Robin especially.

"What did you do to her?" Robin shouted making his hands into fists.

Tattoo Tarot moved closer to them. Cyborg held up his sonic cannon as a threat.

"You know, I knew you were coming to confront me, when Raven was at the peak of pain. It's only a matter of time before the spider takes over her." Tattoo Tarot said slowly and quietly.

"Why Raven? What has she ever done to you?" Cyborg shouted.

"She was vulnerable." he replied quickly.

Robin stared even more coldly at him. He wanted to attack him, or worse, kill this guy, but knew that they needed to interrogate him first in order to help Raven.

"Don't make me ask you twice!" Robin shouted.

"What did I do to her? What did I do to her? Umm, that's a tough one. I don't know if I should tell you." he laughed, not realising that Cyborg was running towards him. Cyborg pinned him against the wall with his face against it.

"How ironic. This was the exact same position Raven was in when I carved the tattoo into her. Ah, her screams were like music to my ears."

Cyborg had had enough of this shit. He held his sonic cannon right up against Tattoo Tarot's head. "Talk bitch! Don't make me do it!" he shouted.

"And what if I don't feel like it?" he answered casually.

"THEN YOU'RE HAVE ME TO FUCKING ANSWER TO!" Robin shouted out of nowhere as he came charging up next to Cyborg. "Tell us what you did to Raven, or I'll kill you!"

Cyborg stared into Robin's eyes. Even through the mask, Cyborg could see his anger, and he could tell that Robin was serious in what he'd just said.

"You really want to know? Fine. I'll let you in on a little secret. But, just to let you know, she's gonna die!"

* * *

Beast Boy was sat by Raven's bedside. She looked like a science experiment with all the wires connected to her and the monitors beeping away in the background. He sighed. He never knew she'd gotten this bad. He remembered back to earlier that morning when she'd fallen off the roof. She didn't scream at all. She'd no idea what was happening. And now, she was here.

"God I hope they get back soon." he said aloud, adjusting Raven's pillows.

"Who friend Beast Boy do you wish to return soon?"

Beast Boy turned around and saw Starfire standing in the doorway.

"Hey Star?" he replied.

"Is friend Raven on the road to betterness?" she asked looking at Raven.

"Yeah Star, she's fine. Cy and Robin found something and went to investigate. They asked us to keep an eye on Raven while they were gone." Beast Boy informed the Tamaranian.

Raven started to stir. She'd been out like a light for just over an hour now. She could hear distant voices talking but she couldn't make them out. She could also hear the beeping from the monitors around her. She slowly attempted to open her eyes, and finally they were fully open. She let out a moan, which made Starfire and Beast Boy jump. Beast Boy removed her oxygen mask.

"Raven? Can you hear me?" he said.

Raven let out another moan. "What?"

"Friend, you collapsed while healing my broken bones. You have been asleep ever since." Starfire informed the empath.

"Robin?" Raven managed to whisper. She felt so weak.

"He just popped out but he'll be back soon." Beast Boy said smiling, moving a hair out of Raven's eyes.

"I… just… wanna… sleep." Raven stuttered.

"Go back to sleep Raven. I'll be here. Don't worry." Beast Boy put the oxygen mask back on Raven and heard her take a few deep breaths before she fell back asleep.

* * *

"What are you talking about?" Cyborg shouted charging up the sonic cannon.

"You see… I have the ability to create real life tattoos that can only be described as… deadly." Tattoo Tarot informed the shocked duo in a sly and calm tone. "When we first met, Raven proved to be a tough competitor. But as I said, she was vulnerable and I soon had her pinned. She was an open target with her bare back showing… her elegant back…"

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT RAVEN LIKE THAT YOU SICK BASTARD!" Robin shouted getting angrier by the second.

"… It's rude to interrupt young one, especially when the information I'm telling you could potentially save Raven's life. Now, be good boys and listen. As I was saying, she was an open target and I took my shot and carved the tattoo into her back and mentally brought it to life. It was an advantage that both Raven and I are from similar realms, Azarath and Vanaveah, but of course you knew that from my prison profile didn't you?"

"What does this tattoo do?" Cyborg asked.

"Well, this is the best bit you see! It drains life! And every time Raven used her powers, the spider came to life and spun that wondrous web on her back, causing her to suffer!"

Robin now saw how everything fitted into place. It started off small, Raven's backache when summoning her book. Then collapsing off the roof while chanting an incantation. And finally, ending up in basic intensive care after healing Starfire's arm. The bigger the power, the bigger the pain.

"So every time she used her powers, the web expanded?" Robin asked trying to take it all in.

"Clever boy. Eventually, Raven will use her powers and the web will be complete. And, well, lets just say that I hope you don't find it too painful letting her go."

The Titans didn't know how to feel. Angry? Afraid? Worried? Sad? What they did know was that Tattoo Tarot was going to pay. But Robin had one more question.

"Why are you telling us all this?" he asked.

Tattoo Tarot paused while thinking up an answer to satisfy Robin's needs.

"I'm going to jail. She's going to perish soon. I have nothing to gain or lose. I might as well let you know so you can waste your time preventing this tragedy. But you can't stop it Titans. Raven's going to die, and you have to spend the next few days watching her every move. The web is almost complete and I think one last use of her powers will do it. You're going to suffer as well, metally… just not as much as her, physically!"

Robin punched Tattoo Tarot hard in the face and kicked his stomach. Cyborg fired his sonic cannon. Cyborg rang the police while Robin thought over what he'd just heard.

"_Raven's dying. No one can stop it. She'll have to use her powers eventually. How am I gonna tell her? My precious Raven? I must stop this… but how do I stop it?"_

* * *

And that fellow writers was chapter 4. Please read on... Love Hollie xoxox


	5. Talking

"**_Nothing compares to you, no matter where I look, no matter what I do. Because that Garden of Eden you took me to, is now overgrown. And the love I've known, is gone without you.' - Lucie Silvas_**

**CHAPTER 5 - TALKING**

Cyborg and Robin made their way back to the tower. It was a tense atmosphere in the T-Car. After everything they'd just heard their minds were racing. Was Raven gonna die? Was he lying? They both knew the answer to that one, no. While Cyborg looked calm and collected, Robin looked angry mixed with guilt. They made their way over the bridge and parked in the garage, where Beast Boy was waiting for them. The looks on their faces painted a clear enough picture.

"Bad news I presume." Beast Boy whispered.

Cyborg looked down, confirming Beast Boy's thoughts.

"Is she gonna…" Beast Boy began.

"Not if I can help it!" Robin shouted, still angry. A tear fell down his cheek.

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Cyborg asked him putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I'm fine." Robin replied, wiping the tear from his face. He walked out of the garage and made his way to the infirmary. When he got there, he saw Starfire sitting next to Raven.

"Friend Robin! You have returned. Did you follow the lead and find it?" she asked in her usual confused and loopy tone. Robin didn't want to answer.

"Star, I need to talk to Raven alone. Cyborg is talking to Beast Boy, he'll fill you in." he replied sadly.

Starfire took Robin's advice and left him and Raven alone. Robin looked over at Raven's bed. Nothing had changed since he'd left her just over an hour ago. She was still lying there surrounded by wires and beeping. He didn't want to worry her, but on the upper hand she may know more about these tattoos than he did, and he was hoping she had some knowledge on Vanaveah to help him know how to save her. He sat on the chair next to the bed and stared at her. She was beautiful, even in her current state. Secretly, Robin had always liked Raven more than he let on, they had a bond after all. After the Trigon scenario a while back, they'd grown to trust each other more than ever, and Robin didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. He tapped her shoulder, trying to wake her. When she didn't awaken, he called her name and she slowly awoke from her slumber. She removed the oxygen mask and looked at Robin.

"Robin?" she whispered.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, then realising it was a pretty stupid question.

"Better." she smiled trying to hoist herself up from her laid down position. Robin helped her.

"Beast Boy said you'd found a lead or something? I can't remember." Raven questioned wondering where he'd gone.

Robin lost eye contact. "Yeah, we found out why you've been collapsing." he said guiltily.

Raven looked at him and knew that what he had to say was bad news. But being a brave fighter, she smiled and demanded an answer from him.

"Before I tell you, do you know anything about Vanaveah?" Robin asked. Raven looked confused.

"A little. Why?" she replied.

"It's Tattoo Tarot who's being hurting you, and he's from Vanaveah. After you collapsed healing Starfire's arm, Cyborg found something…" Robin thought about saying exactly what, but didn't want to worry her. "… so we went after him and he told us everything."

"And?" Raven said.

"I don't want you using your powers anymore Raven." he whispered.

Raven looked into his masked eyes. They looked guilty, sad and angry, a side of him she hadn't seen since she sacrificed herself to Trigon. But, surprisingly, Raven wasn't having any of it.

"Why not Robin? What aren't you telling me?" she asked.

"Look Raven. I know what's going on and I don't want to tell you. But you must promise me you won't use any of your power until we find a way to help you!" he said holding her hand.

"Robin. Tell me what you're hiding." she said sternly.

This wasn't going how Robin had planned. He thought Raven would be weak and unable to fight back and ask questions, but she'd recovered from earlier and wanted to know all. He was getting angrier every minute.

"NO RAVEN! I CARE ABOUT YOU TOO MUCH TO TELL YOU! JUST DON'T YOU DARE USE ANY OF YOUR POWERS UNTIL WE SAY IT'S SAFE! NO LEVITATING! NO HEALING! NO SPELLS OR INCANTATIONS! NOTHING!"

Raven was startled into silence. Robin couldn't believe he'd lost it like that. Raven looked scared of him. He reached out to her but she moved away. Robin took a deep breath.

"Tattoo Tarot said that if you use your powers, you'll… die."

Robin had been wondering since he'd found out the news how Raven would react. He expected her to be scared, but she wasn't. In fact, she seemed in denial.

"Vanaveian's are best known for lying." she said nonchalantly.

"So, you're willing to take a risk that big just to see if that fucker is lying!" Robin said astounded.

Raven was becoming distressed. Robin put the mask back on her face and checked her temperature. She was burning up. He altered the fluid levels.

"Raven please calm down. This is why I didn't want to tell you." Robin begged.

Raven lay back down and removed the mask. "I'm not scared Robin because you won't even tell me why. I was meant to die when I became the portal, but you saved me from Trigon, and if it's that bad or if something happens, I know you'll save me again." she said breathlessly.

"Just promise me Raven. Let me and the others do some research and help you. Just don't use your powers."

"I promise." she said even more breathlessly putting the oxygen mask back on once again. There was a knock at the door and Cyborg appeared.

"Hey. I just came to check you're okay." he smiled.

Knowing Raven couldn't reply, Robin answered for her.

"She's having difficulty breathing. But, I told her most of the story. How we found Tattoo Tarot and what he told us, but I didn't talk about…" Robin cupped one hand around his mouth and mouthed to Cyborg "…the tattoo…" then went back to speaking normally, "… and she's understood that I've forbidden her from using her powers for her own good." Raven wanted to butt in and ask what Robin had mouthed to Cyborg, but felt too weak to do anything. She looked at Cyborg who looked a little confused, but delighted that Raven was out of danger in the long run.

"Did you say short of breath?" Cyborg double checked, increasing the oxygen.

"Yeah." he replied.

"That should do it then." Cyborg smiled.

They all looked at each other as silence filled the room.

"Raven, we'll be back later. I'll make you something to eat. There should be some leftover Chinese if Beast Boy hasn't eaten it all by now." Cyborg joked. Raven nodded and done a thumbs up sign. Robin leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"See ya later." he smiled, and he left the room, leaving Raven to wallow in self thought.

* * *

When they were out of ear shot, Cyborg started a conversation. "Why didn't you tell her about the tattoo?" he asked.

"I don't want to worry her. I just said that if she uses her powers then she'll die. I also asked her about the realm Vanaveah and she just said that the people who live there are known for lying." Robin replied convincing Cyborg that keeping Raven in the dark was the best thing for her right now, even though she was on the road to recovery. "Did you tell the others?" he asked.

"Yeah, and they didn't take it too well, especially Star. She's making some sorta pie to ease the pain or something, I didn't stick around!" Cyborg smiled.

They both arrived in the Control Room where Starfire was indeed cooking and Beast Boy was watching television. They both looked sad.

"Hey guys." Robin said and they looked around.

"You tell her?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not the whole story, but enough of it." Robin sighed. The team was in low spirits and he wanted to cheer them up. "How about we catch a midnight movie? It'll cheer us all up a bit." Robin suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Glorious idea friend Robin!" Starfire said excitedly throwing the cooking mixture in the bin.

"How about Raven?" Beast Boy asked.

"She can come too but we'll have to keep an eye on her, she isn't out of the woods yet." Robin said.

"I'll go and tell her and see what she says." Cyborg said, walking out of the Control Room and heading to the infirmary. He knocked on the door.

"Raven? Are you awake?" he said through the door. There was no reply. He called her name again and there was still no answer, so he opened the door.

"What the?" Cyborg gasped.

* * *

Thanks for reading this chapter. Chapter 6 will be along soon. Love Hollie xoxox 


	6. Watching

**CHAPTER 6 - WATCHING**

"Raven's gone!" Cyborg shouted running into the Control Room. The others stared in disbelief.

"What? Where?" Starfire started to panic.

Instead of wasting time asking stupid questions, Robin flipped open his communicator and attempted to contact Raven.

"Rae? Raven! It's Robin… answer me!" Robin shouted down the communicator before realising he wasn't going to get a reply from the empath. "Search the tower!" he commanded his friends, who all ran and flew off in different directions. Robin ran to the main computer and conducted a city wide search for her communicator signal. Thank God Cyborg installed them into all their communicators, they didn't think they'd ever need to use them. Robin impatiently waited for a beep, or some sort of sign that Raven was there. Suddenly his communicator went off.

"What?" Robin said into the communicator, hoping for good news. It was Beast Boy.

"Don't bother trying to track her com, it's here in the infirmary." Beast Boy said to a disgruntled Robin who bashed his fist hard on the computer. "Keep searching!" He shouted before he logged off. Then he had an idea. "The security cameras!"

* * *

"Come on… get up and fight!"

Raven's eyes flickered open as she struggled to get up off the alleyway floor. She groaned in pain as Tattoo Tarot kicked her in the stomach, for the fifth time.

"And here I was thinking of you as a threat!" Tattoo Tarot laughed, smirking down at Raven, loving to see her squirm.

"Please… stop." Raven moaned, clutching her stomach.

"Why should I stop Raven? Fight back! Give me all you've got!" Tattoo Tarot smiled. Of course he knew that Raven couldn't fight back. He knew that Robin had told her, well to some extent that she would perish if she used her magical powers. Right then, she realised that she took them for granted. If she ever made it out of this torture alive, she would definitely appreciate them more. She prayed to Azar as she received another blow to the stomach that the Titans, her friends, would find her before it was too late.

* * *

Robin ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the security room, and was surprised to find Cyborg sitting there, rewinding and fast-forwarding the tapes from the infirmary.

"Great minds think alike.", Robin smiled, happy that someone was on the same wavelength as him in locating their lost team mate.

"Explains why BB ain't in here.", Cyborg replied keeping his eyes glued to the screen. Robin chuckled, then went back to refocusing to the task on hand.

"Found anything?", Robin asked anxiously, standing behind the half-robot and watching the cameras.

"I'm just fast-forwarding to after we left the infirmary, then we should get an idea of where she is, although it doesn't take both of us to work out who took her." Cyborg finally reached the spot and played the tape for them both. By that time, Starfire and Beast Boy had entered the room and silently watched Raven's struggle.

It wasn't very pretty. Raven had been sitting there thinking, never realising that the infirmary window was slowly being opened. She was taken by surprise as Tattoo Tarot roughly pushed her off the bed and pinned her to the floor. The Titans couldn't help but wonder how they didn't hear Raven's small screams of pain. They continued to watch Raven struggle under the villain's weight, her weak form becoming more tired with every effort. Getting bored of her consistent fidgeting, he punched her hard in the face, rendering her unconscious. Starfire felt Robin's body tense up at that point. Tattoo Tarot threw her over his shoulder and jumped out of the window. Two moments later, Cyborg's knocking on the door could be heard. He stopped the tape and faced the others, who all had disgusted looks on their faces.

* * *

"I must say that I am impressed, staying alive this long, stressing not to use your powers." Tattoo Tarot tempted her. "I know how hard it must be for you, you're friends not coming, and you on your last bit of strength. All you need to do is unleash that black magic of yours and this could all be over."

After hearing his speech, Raven felt the urge to continue holding back, knowing very well that when he said 'this could all be over', he didn't mean his own destruction, he meant hers.

"My friends will come, because unlike you, I am part of a team. I'm not a loner who resorts to killing people slowly for pleasure!" Raven screamed.

"Sticks and stones dark one… sticks and stones."

* * *

"We must find the Tattoo Tarot and save friend Raven before it's too late!" Starfire said, her voice filled with fury and concern, if that was possible.

"But where would he have taken her?" Beast Boy asked anyone who was in the room. Silence filled the room as he waited for an answer. Robin stared at the floor as he thought about the question.

"He wants us to find Raven, otherwise he would have blasted the security cameras." Robin said, mainly to himself although he knew everyone heard.

"The alleyway?" Cyborg asked his leader knowing that he meant the last place they were interrogating Raven's kidnapper.

"The alleyway." Robin said, jumping out of his seat and running out the door with the others behind him. They ran and flew to the garage and revved up the T-Car and R-Cycle and raced Downtown. Starfire and Beast Boy flew ahead of their team mates, searching the darkening skies for any signs of the empath. Suddenly, a scream gave them hope.

Without saying a word, Starfire and Beast Boy flew as fast as they could go towards the scream. Robin, seeing their sudden change in direction, hit the acceleration and drove behind them. Cyborg followed.

"Hold on Rae." Cyborg begged, speeding up to catch up with Robin.

* * *

Raven was standing, but was so close to falling back down. For the past 10 minutes Tattoo Tarot had being beating her body for all she was worth, trying to make her fight back with her magic. The more she persevered, the harder he hit. Raven's lack of physical strength at that moment led to her defeat, as he threw her limp body at the alleyway wall. She fell into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Come on Raven. You have the power, yet you're letting me walk all over you. Sometimes I wonder how you and your pathetic friends defend the city!" Tarot taunted her.

"I trust Robin, I promised him… I can't!" Raven sobbed as pain rushed through her body. Tarot walked up to her and knelt down beside her.

"But you can." he whispered.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Tarot turned around, only to be greeted by a very angry looking Boy Wonder, a fired up cyborg, a determined girl with glowing green orbs surrounding her hands, and a green tiger. Raven smiled as she thanked Azar for answering her prayer.

"IF YOU LAY ON MORE HAND ON HER I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

Raven was taken aback by Robin's sudden anger. She knew he cared, but never that much. The emotions running though him were indescribable. Anger. Hatred. Anxiety. Pain. The other Titans stared at Raven and assessed her condition. She had gotten up from the crumpled heap and was now leaning against the wall, holding her stomach as it screamed in pain.

"Ah, Titans. You got here just in time to watch your friend's destruction!" Tarot laughed evilly. He jumped towards Robin, who was unprepared for the sudden attack and grabbed his neck, turning so he was standing behind him. Before Robin could retaliate, Tarot pulled out a knife and held it to his neck.

Cyborg pointed his sonic cannon at the villain, hatred showing in his human eye. Starfire was getting ready to release a huge amount of starbolts at Tarot. Beast Boy growled loudly in his tiger form and began to advance on him. Raven attempted to move, but failed miserably as she fell back against the wall. Tattoo Tarot held the sharp blade closer to Robin's neck.

"Lower your weapons, or your precious leader dies!" he threatened. The Titans stopped in their tracks and followed the orders, however much they disliked them. Raven looked at Robin, who was trying to put on a brave face, although anyone could tell he was scared.

'Robin's life is in danger. I am the one he wants.' Raven thought to herself. She knew what she had to do...


	7. Caring

**CHAPTER 7 - LOVING**

Robin dared not struggle. He was one of the 5 bravest heroes of the city, but he was still human, and most humans are afraid of guns. He watched with saddened eyes as Starfire's hands stopped glowing, as Beast Boy transformed from tiger to man, as Cyborg lowered his sonic cannon, as Raven… lay in pain.

"You taught your team well Robin." Tarot smiled as he glared evilly at the 3 Titans in front of him. "But not well enough!". Before they could defend themselves, Tarot had sent them flying towards the wall with his magic. Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire all groaned as their backs collided hard with the bricks and they fell to the floor where they lay awake but paralysed.

"No!" Raven shouted to Tarot as she witnessed her friends hurt, he was doing the same thing to her a moment before, and she knew it hurt.

Tarot, who still had a strong grip on Robin, strode over towards the empath and stared at her blankly, then he slapped her around the face. The scream made the other's wanna kill this villain. Robin tried harder than ever to get free, not worrying about the gun anymore, but more about Raven's safety.

"You bastard!" She shouted, holding her reddened cheek. Tarot merely laughed.

"Little goth, you are powerless against me. At least you will be in a few minutes!" Tarot threatened. For a moment, Raven looked confused.

"I'll never give you my powers! I'm not the sort of girl to brake promises." Raven muttered, sadly. At those words, Robin looked at her. She was beaten, broken, scarred. Bruises were appearing on her body, her cheek was blood red, her eyes showed nothing but determination being cheered on by sadness. He'd done that to her.

'Raven. I'm so, so sorry.' Robin sighed mentally.

"Maybe not… but promises can be broken under different circumstances!", And with that, Tarot broke off into a run, Robin still over his shoulder. Suddenly Tarot stopped and looked back. "If you want your friend to die, then I suggest not following." Then, he disappeared.

"ROBIN!" Raven screamed, immediately regretting trying to get up. Her body couldn't take the pressure, but she needed to save him, her… one true love. The boy who had helped her out of so many situations and saved her life on numerous occasions. Raven needed to go after him. She strained as she got up, leaning on the wall for support. She walked over to her friends who were also getting up.

"Whoa! Dude who knew he was that strong." Beast Boy said as he dusted himself off and stretched his back.

"Yes, it seems we underestimated the full extent of the Tarot of Tattoos powers. And now he has Robin!" Starfire cried. Cyborg put his arm round her.

"Don't worry, we'll get Robin back. Titans…."

Raven held out her hand, stopping Cyborg in mid sentence. They all stared at her, waiting for some words, although they all knew what she was about to say.

"No!" Cyborg stated clearly. "We're a team and we're doing this together."

Raven sighed. She knew that she had their support, but this time, she didn't want it.

"Don't you get it! It's me he wants! I'm going alone." Raven cried, a single tear coming down her face, one of the only times she'd shown emotion. "I'm not gonna let you guys put your lives at risk for me, I'm not worth it."

Everyone stared in disbelief. They couldn't believe that this is how Raven had sunk, completely doubting her existence. But, none of them knew how she felt, being the cause of all the trouble. Cyborg walked up to her and let his hand rest on her shoulder.

"Raven. After everything we've been through, you've grown stronger. I can't believe you would even consider saying that about yourself. You are a hero, a good person who would sacrifice everything in an instant just to make others happy. You say you're not worth it, but you are, and so much more, especially to me, BB, Star… and Robin. He loves you and would never want to see you like this. You put our lives at risk for us, so why wouldn't we do it for you?"

Cyborg stared at his dark sister, looking in her eyes for some kind of emotion.

"I love him too." Raven sighed and ran into Cyborg's arms. Cyborg just held her as Starfire and Beast Boy looked on. Raven let go. "Which is why I'm going alone Cyborg. I caused this. I let my guard down, got branded by his tattoo and now he wants me, and he's using Robin as bait. I'm not letting you come with me, team or no team, this is my mission."

Cyborg understood. As much as he didn't want to, he knew she wasn't gonna back down. "I know Raven. Robin can look after himself, and it's a trap, but I know what love feels like. If you're not back in 30 minutes, we're coming after you."

Raven smiled and wiped away another tear, a tear that secretly said thank you. She turned to face Beast Boy and Starfire, who had remained quiet for a while.

"You won't need to come after me. I'll get Robin back. Tarot is hardly a villain anyway and all he's got against Robin is a gun." Raven said before turning around and rising off the ground, about to fly off into Tarot's direction.

"If he isn't much of a villain then why are you dying?"

Raven stopped and turned back, tracing the sound of the voice. It was Beast Boy's. Raven smiled and flew off, not replying with an answer. She had to find Robin and Tarot. She knew he wouldn't hurt Robin because he wanted her dead, and Robin was the way he was gonna get it. Using her mental bond with Robin, she flew towards them. Sadly, Tarot had had a head start and Raven's body needed rest. But she refused to give up.

Urgh! Where are they!' she screamed mentally. Then her communicator went off. She opened it to see Starfire's face.

"Friend Raven. Robin and the Tarot are near the beach on the tops of the cliffs. You must hurry before it is too late!" Starfire rushed, hating this predicament of being on the sidelines.

"Don't worry Starfire. Tarot won't hurt Robin until I get there. He's safe."

"Raven, it is your safety I worry for too! Please, please be careful and be safe." Starfire smiled. Raven returned the smile. "I will." Then she closed the communicator.

'Azar always said that everything happens for a reason.' Raven said as she scanned her back with her finger. 'I guess my real destiny is to die for love'. She stopped and realised her goal, to find her love. She dashed as fast as her small frame could carry her towards the cliffs at the beach.


	8. Begging

**CHAPTER 8 - BEGGING**

"You'll never get Raven!"

"I think you'll find I will. You see dear boy, she loves you. And people, even powerful demons will do anything for the one's they love, even die!"

Tarot had held Robin captive for about twenty minutes now as he stood on the highest point on the cliff top, the welcoming breeze swaying through his hair. Robin lay beside him. As soon as Tarot had landed on the cliff top, he'd thrown Robin to the floor and shot him in the shoulder, weakening him extremely.

Robin contemplated his last point. Raven loved him. The dark sorceress incapable of love… loved him. And he loved her back, always had. But his feelings had grown during Trigon's conquer. He never knew he could get so worried about anyone like that, when Raven sacrificed herself and lost all hope. The feelings he'd had at that moment were indescribable. Pain, hurt, confusion, sorrow, anger… love. All the emotions he was feeling now, Raven couldn't feel. But she loved him. And… would die for him.

"I won't let Raven do it! She's not gonna die because of me!" Robin shouted in pain, grasping his bleeding shoulder.

* * *

Raven grew more anxious the closer she got to the cliffs. She knew Robin wasn't in danger… he couldn't be… Tarot wanted her life… not Robin's. 

'I love him. I never thought I could… but I do.'

With this new determination, Raven flew even faster towards her destination.

* * *

"It's been 10 minutes! We gotta help her!" 

Beast Boy and Cyborg were monitoring the computer back at the tower. On the screen was a purple 'x', indicating where Raven was.

"Beast Boy. She's not even there yet. Calm down, our girl will be fine." Cyborg said reassuringly. But Beast Boy was unconvinced.

"Dude! Rae is just waltzing out there with no back up and a killer tattoo on her body!"

Cyborg sighed. "Do you not think I know that man! But we're her back up. We have to let her go alone, but we'll be there in a flash if anything happens. Don't worry."

* * *

Tarot circled Robin, glaring at him spitefully. "The weak deserve to die." 

Robin was enraged by that, and painfully stood up.

"Raven is anything but weak! How dare you say that about her. She had accomplished so much and fought endless battles and has proven herself to be one of the strongest and hopeful people I know! You're the fucking weak one! You turn up in Jump City out of the blue, and cause a stranger to suffer! Raven has been dying because of you! And I'll be dammed if she dies. SHE'S NOT WEAK!"

Tarot wasn't taken aback by Robin's speech. He'd heard the stories about Raven's past, one of the reason's he was so proud of the tattoo on her back. He would be a hero in the villain world for destroying the girl who defeated the most powerful demon in existence.

"If you ask me, you're the one who's weak." he replied as he aimed the gun again.

* * *

Raven stopped. Her heart stopped. Her mind stopped. 

"Robin!" she screamed as the sound of a gunshot filled her ears. Now with anger and fury to big for words to even begin to describe, she shot off towards the cliffs, finally seeing what happened. Robin was lying there, 2 bullet wounds encrypted in his body, one in the shoulder and one in the leg.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE! IT'S ME YOU WANT!" Raven screamed as she dived and pushed straight into Tarot, nearly sending him off the cliff.

Tarot regained himself and shot some magic towards her, which she dodged with ease, then she was about to release some of her own magic, when a small voice behind her stopped her.

"No Raven! Don't break your promise." Raven turned to see Robin looking at her with fear in his eyes. He wanted desperately to help her, but couldn't.

"Ah Raven. So glad you could join us." Tarot said smugly, looking at the girl as if she was scum. "You are about to witness the destruction of your boyfriend!"

Raven turned to face Robin. He lay there, bleeding, not at all worried about his own injuries, but about her. All the emotions coming from him were overwhelming. It was unbelievable that someone could learn to love her, the spawn of evil, an unsocial and emotionless half demon.

"If you hurt him I swear!" Raven threatened Tarot, who merely smirked.

"You'll what? Young one you are in a moral dilemma. One strike of your magic and you will meet your end. Would you sacrifice everything for that pathetic waste of…"

"SHUT UP! I LOVE HIM! I LOVE ROBIN MORE THAN I'VE EVER LOVED ANYONE!"

Raven was doing her best to keep her emotions and magic in check, but she was breaking, she could feel it. Robin, hearing her words, felt his heart skip a few beats. She loved him back… wow. That's all he could think of. That was, until Tarots gun was pointed at his head and he heard a female gasp.

"Please. Don't hurt him!", Raven begged the villain. "Please!"

* * *

"Friends, 20 of the minutes have gone. Surely we must assist!" 

Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy had nervously and anxiously been watching the computer screen. Both of their friends were still alive, but as the minutes ticked away, they grew more anxious to help.

"Argh I can't stand this! Why ain't we out there?" Beast Boy shouted, getting agitated.

"Because… this is Raven's mission." Cyborg sighed, his eyes never leaving the computer screen.

* * *

"Please! I'll surrender… just… don't hurt him."

Raven lowered her head and walked towards Tarot. She could hear Robin calling her name, but she blocked it out as she came face to face with the villain.

"Drop the gun. And you have my word." Raven cried, her emotions being pushed to their limits. Robin felt the pressure from the gun leave his head as Tarot let it drop to the floor. Raven, using her last bit of power, went up to Robin.

"I'm sorry." Raven whispered in his ear, and then kissed him on the cheek, and walked away.

"Azarath…"

* * *

"Okay it's been 30 minutes. Lets go y'all" Cyborg ordered them as Starfire grabbed him by the shoulders to fly him to the cliffs, and Beast Boy transformed into a hawk, following after them.

* * *

"Metrion…"

Raven fell to the floor in pain, her back glowing an evil red as she struggled to stay conscious.

"RAVEN!" Robin screamed. Tarot stood there, laughing.

"Zinthos…"


End file.
